I Swear I Do
by digitalmonster911
Summary: Matt and Sora are best friends that both work and live together. They swore three years ago that if they weren't married by the age of 25, they would marry each other. So what happens when that deadline comes to pass?
1. Chapter 1: Just Another Ordinary Day

I Swear I Do

A Digimon Fanfic

Summary: Matt and Sora are best friends that both work and live together. They swore three years ago that if they weren't married by the age of 25, they would marry each other. So what happens when that deadline comes to pass?

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or any of its characters. If I did, Matt and T.K. would belong to ME. I heart the Ishida-Takaishi brothers...hemhem. ANYWAY...

Chapter 1: Just Another Ordinary Day

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_Beep beep. Beep beep._

Matt groaned and rolled over, reaching with his hand to find the goddamned alarm clock. Couldn't he sleep in just _one_ morning?

His hand patted empty air and he consented to crack open one eye, determined to find the little annoyance and render it incapable of sound.

It wasn't there.

Matt now opened both of his eyes, resigning himself to the fact that if he wanted the stupid thing to shut up, he was going to have to get up and find it first.

He yawned hugely and proceeded to crawl to the edge of his queen-sized bed. Sora always bugged him about having such a big bed when he was the only one in it, but the truth was that Matt would probably wake up on the floor most of the time if it was any smaller.

Not that it should matter so much anyway. Out of the two of them, Sora was the one who spent more money on creature comforts. Matt hardly bought anything unnecessary for himself, and his bed was the main feature of his room.

He finally found the edge of the bed and swung his legs over the side. Before he stood up he put his face in his hands and sighed, preparing himself for yet another day at work.

He missed high school.

"Having trouble, Matt?" an amused voice came from the doorway, and he looked up to see Sora leaning against the frame, brushing her long auburn hair, a smirk on her face.

"Where did you hide it, Sora?" he asked, answering her question with one of his own. Sora put a hand to her heart, a mock-wounded look on her face.

"Why Matt, how could you possibly accuse me of such a terrible crime?"

"Because you're the only one who lives here other than me, and I keep it on my bedside table so I can smash the thing to bits every morning and buy another one that afternoon."

"Which is why I hid it. I swear, you must have spent at least $400 on radio alarm clocks in the last month."

"What does it matter? I make more than that a week."

Sora narrowed her eyes. Evidently, this was not the best comment to make.

"Yamato Ishida." Oh crap, his full name. "I don't give a damn _how_ much you make a week, you do not need to spend so much money on alarm clocks when the money could go towards something more important. Is that clear?"

_Beep beep. Beep beep._

"Crystal. Now where is it?"

"In your guitar case."

He looked at her, amazed. "How the hell is it that loud when it's inside a guitar case?"

Sora smiled wickedly. "I didn't close the case."

Matt rolled his eyes and stood in a fluid motion that was quite an achievement, considering he was still half asleep. He ran his hands through his messy blonde hair and stretched before crossing the room to his guitar case, opening it up, grabbing the persistant alarm clock and promptly throwing it against the wall. The beeping stopped upon contact with the wall.

_Beep beep. Bee-CRASH!_

"Breakfast?" he enquired as he walked past Sora, ignoring her disapproving look.

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This was a typical morning for Yamato Ishida and Sora Takenouchi. Sora would wake up at six o'clock on the dot every morning, in time to set Matt's alarm clock and possibly hide it so he couldn't destroy it when it went off. She would then get dressed in her clothes for the day and would make exactly two cups of coffee in the coffee-maker. Sora would be in the middle of brushing her hair when Matt's alarm went off at six-thirty, and if he wasn't up in five minutes (which he normally wasn't) she would walk into his room and wake him up herself. Matt would then stumble out of bed and begin to make breakfast for the both of them. Sora would finish getting ready for work in time to eat breakfast, drink her coffee and watch the seven o'clock news. Matt would hurriedly eat his breakfast (scrambled eggs and bacon, his fat intake for the day) and proceed to have a two-minute shower, get dressed, brush his teeth and spend the remaining half hour carefully styling his hair with gel. By that time it would be a quarter to eight, and Matt would rush into the kitchen to find Sora as he couldn't -

"SORA! Where are you?" Matt yelled, running into the kitchen and sliding due to the fact that he was wearing only socks and no shoes.

"Behind you, Matt dearest," her sarcastic voice replied, and he spun around to face her, almost falling over in the process.

"Can you please - "

"Tie your tie?" Sora interrupted. She grabbed the tie out of Matt's hands and wound it around his neck, expertly tying it and tucking it into his jacket.

Matt sighed in relief. "Thanks, Sor. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Wither away and die, I suspect," Sora answered, hiding a smile. "Go put your shoes on and grab your lunch out of the fridge, or we'll miss the train."

"Go put my..." Matt glanced at his feet, swore and stomped back to his room. He emerged a few minutes later with his shoes on and his sapphire eyes burning. He took his lunch, courtesy of Sora, out of the fridge and stuffed it into his briefcase, snapped the case closed and walked out of the front door, his head held high. Sora stifled a laugh and followed him.

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They were, of course, right on time for the train. Matt spent the majority of the trip watching the scenery that he knew so well, letting his mind wander. Sora, on the other hand, updated her to-do list on her electronic planner and realised that she had to call Tai that night.

"Matt, how long has it been since you've spoken to T.K.?" she asked, her head cocked. Matt looked at her and blinked.

"Sorry, what?"

"How long has it been since you've spoken to T.K.?"

"Oh. I don't know. Not since the wedding, I guess."

Sora eyed Matt. "Matt, the wedding was nine weeks ago."

"You're kidding!" Matt was shocked, to say the least. It seemed like only yesterday he had attended his little brother's wedding to Kari, his girlfriend of five years.

"No, I'm not. Really, Matt, you should make more of an effort to keep in touch."

"Hey, T.K.'s a big boy, he can take care of himself."

"He's only 22, Matt, and I'm sure he'd like to hear from you more often."

"Yeah, yeah," Matt muttered, turning his attention to the landscape once more. Sora frowned but dropped the subject.

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They got off at their stop at precisely 8:48am and began the ten-minute walk to the office. While their work days were from nine to five, they enjoyed what they did, unlike a lot of people they knew. Both Sora and Matt worked at Odaiba Records Inc., and their job was to listen to music all day long sorting the somebodies from the nobodies.

After Matt's short-lived career as a rock star came to an end at the age of nineteen, he was offered a position at the record label that had shown the most interest in his band. Though the Teenage Wolves were never signed, Odaiba Records had immediately jumped at the chance to hire Matt as an employee. Matt in turn had recommended Sora, as she had been looking for work at the time, on the grounds that she had been a huge influence in his band's music.

Odaiba Records had accepted, and here they stood today, six years later and a lot richer.

Which is why they lived together in a rather modest apartment in a good neighbourhood. Sora and Matt had both decided that they didn't have what it takes to live alone (actually, it more along the lines that Matt needed someone to take care of him and Sora needed someone to cook for her) and moved in together, using their combined abilities to bring a household to order. They were almost complete opposites, except for their joint love of music. While Matt was the most disorganised and messy guy you could come across, Sora was organised to a tee, and planned everything down to the second. Matt was creative and adventurous, while Sora by contrast tended to be an academic and cautious.

Even their looks were polar opposites. Sora was short and tanned, well-built from her tennis and soccer days, but still lean and feminine. She had grown her cherry-red hair out past her shoulders to almost her waist, and her kind brown eyes sparkled with a hint of ruby.

Matt, on the other hand, was tall, thin and pale. His frame was decidedly muscular, and definitely masculine. His eyes were a sharp azure blue, and his hair was a deliberate mess of gold. Even now he still had an aura about him of someone not to be messed with, the only obvious difference between him and T.K., his younger brother.

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They were on time for work, and immediately began their day with Matt withdrawing into his office and starting on some paperwork for a new addition to the label, while Sora stopped briefly to chat to a few co-workers before entering her own office and placing a CD in the high-tech stereo system next to her desk.

The day passed by as usual, the hours blurring until before they knew it five o'clock had come round and it was time to leave. Sora met Matt outside of his office and waited patiently as he furiously finished typing up a report for the new acquisition. As he packed up and walked out of the door, Sora knowingly handed him a piece of strawberry-flavoured gum. Matt smiled at her tiredly and they left the building to catch the train back home.

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They had take-away that night, as Sora knew that Matt had had a rough day. She changed his sheets while he was eating, and proceeded to add extra pillows to his bed. She turned the TV in his room on, put in a DVD and set it up. Sora then walked into the kitchen and made some popcorn. Matt watched her, wondering yet again how someone could know him so well. As Sora took his plate and put it in the sink, Matt stood and followed her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"Thanks, Sor."

She turned to face him and smiled, pulling him into a hug. "No problem, hon. I know you've had a bad day."

"I really don't know what I'd do without you, you know."

Sora laughed. "Well, for now you don't have to find out, so enjoy the comfort while it lasts."

The two friends spent the rest of the night watching movies and eating popcorn in Matt's room. It was Saturday the next day, so neither of them worried about staying up too late. It was somewhere between 1 and 2 am when Sora finally nodded off. Matt looked over after the movie finished to find her sleeping silently, her hair falling out of its bun. Matt smiled and carefully took out the band that held it together, letting it fall about her face. He then turned off the TV, pulled the covers over both of them and went to sleep.

But Sora had forgotten to call Tai, and upon missing her weekly phone call, Tai became worried and came around to their apartment the following morning to make sure everything was okay...

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Well, that's chapter one done. Tell me what you think and I'll try to put chapter two up soon.

digitalmonster911


	2. Chapter 2: Drama Makes Life More Fun

I Swear I Do

A Digimon Fanfic

Summary: Matt and Sora are best friends that both work and live together. They swore three years ago that if they weren't married by the age of 25, they would marry each other. So what happens when that deadline comes to pass?

Disclaimer: I want the Ishida-Takaishi brothers, and I want them NOW. GIMME!

Chapter 2: Drama Makes Life More Fun

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_Beep beep. Beep beep._

Not again.

Matt reached out of the blanket, his fist clenched, ready to beat the crap out of that stupid alarm clock.

He swung his fist down to the source of the noise and was rather surprised when his hand encountered something bushy and soft rather than hard and metallic. It didn't stop the downward path of his fist, however.

"OUCH! What the hell was that for?!"

Matt opened one eye warily. This was new. As thick as he could be sometimes, Matt was pretty sure alarm clocks did not protest when you tried to smash them into undefinable pieces.

His view was completely taken over by a brown mass of fur. Absolutely baffled, Matt opened both his eyes and realised that the brown fur hid a face with two furious brown eyes staring out of it.

"You are such an ass, Matt! Why the hell did you hit me?" Tai demanded angrily. Matt rolled his eyes.

"Next time, don't imitate an alarm clock," was all he said in reply.

"But Sora said-"

"Ah. Sora. That explains it."

Matt yawned and sat up, stretching as far as he could towards the ceiling. Tai, who was admittedly a little slower than Matt, took a few seconds to realise that Sora had set him up.

"You mean that she tricked me?"

"Tricked you, duped you, made you fall into her little diabolical trap like the conniving little minx she is. Now if you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you would leave so that I may change into something suitable to wear outside of this bedroom."

Tai simply looked blankly at Matt before standing up. "Can't you just say 'get out'?"

"Now what fun would that be?" Matt replied and proceeded to get dressed.

Tai stalked out of Matt's room, muttering to himself. He entered the kitchen to find Sora drinking her morning coffee, idly turning the pages of the newspaper in front of her.

"That was so _not_ funny, Sora!"

"I can't help but disagree," Sora smirked. "I needed something to keep me entertained on a Saturday morning, and as Matty dearest wasn't up yet..."

"You owe me."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "_I_ owe _you_? I was under the impression, Tai, that you owed me."

Tai flushed. "Fine. We'll call it even."

Matt stumbled past them, ruffling Sora's hair as he went, earning him a glare from the fiery red-head.

"Never...sugar...again...bad...never..."

Tai and Sora exchanged amused glances. When Matt would have a sugar binge the night before, he would wake up with a bad sugar withdrawal that was quite possibly worse than any hangover he had ever experienced. Sora shook her head and looked at Tai.

"So what are you doing here on a Saturday morning, Tai?" she asked curiously. Tai liked to sleep until noon on a Saturday unless he had to work early. A visit from him so early was quite an occasion.

"Well, you usually call me on a Friday night, and you're so OCD about it. You haven't missed a call for over six months, so when I didn't get a call last night..."

Sora gasped, shocked. "I forgot to call! Oh Tai, I'm sorry. It had been a rough day for Matt, and we ended up watching movies all night in his room. It completely slipped my mind that I had to call you."

Tai grinned. "Don't worry about it. I just got a little worried, so I thought I'd drop in and make sure evrything was okay. And, as per usual, I find you awake at the crack of dawn and Matt dead to the world. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Sora smiled. "It was sweet of you to worry. I really am sorry that I didn't call."

"Doesn't matter. It's not as if I sit by the phone waiting for it to ring."

"When it comes to that girl you met last week on the other hand..." Matt called from the kitchen. Tai blinked.

"How did you know about that?"

"I know everything."

Tai scoffed but Sora smiled slyly. "What girl?"

Tai began to slowly turn red. "No one..."

"The girl he interviewed for the women's state soccer semi-finals. She scored the winning goal for her team."

"That's it! I want to know where you get your information from, Ishida! No one knows about that!"

"Obviously _I_ do."

"And how _do _you know?"

Sora laughed quietly while the two men bantered with one another. Their relationship hadn't changed much over the past few years.

"All right, then! I challenge you to a round of Tekken 4! I win, you reveal your sources. You win, you get to keep your secrets."

"Bring it on."

Nope, not at all.

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After listening to ten minutes of Tai whining that Matt had cheated, Sora became bored and decided to leave the boys to it. Re-entering the kitchen, she filled the sink with warm water and began to wash the breakfast dishes.

_Ring, ring._

"I've got it!" Sora called to the boys, wiping her hands on a tea-towel. Their argument didn't even pause, and Sora assumed that they hadn't even heard the phone ring.

"Hello?"

_"Hey Sora, how are you?"_

Sora smiled. "Hey Kari. I'm good, what about you?"

_"Absolutely great. Is my dork of a brother over at your place, by any chance?"_

"He could be."

_"Figures. He was meant to come over to our place to help us start to rennovate the baby's room."_

Silence. Then, "Baby's room?"

_"That's what I said."_

"Excuse me for a few minutes."

Kari laughed. _"Okay."_

Sora put down the phone calmly, walked into the living room and ended the argument between Tai and Matt by hitting Tai across the top of the head. Hard.

"OUCH! Jeez, woman, you hit hard. What was that for?"

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"About what?"

"About Kari!"

Tai paused for a few seconds. "What do you-_oh_. That."

"Yeah. That. How long have you known?"

"About a week?"

"And you didn't see fit to tell us?!"

"I'm sorry, okay? I forgot!"

Matt raised an eyebrow. "Am I missing something?"

Sora turned to him abruptly. "Tai apparently forgot to tell us that his little sister is pregnant."

Matt looked thoughtful. "You mean-"

"Yes, Matt. I mean that your brother is going to be a father, rendering you an uncle."

Matt grinned. "Awesome!"

"Now if you don't mind, I'm going to continue my conversation with Kari in the kitchen. Tai, if you don't wish to die a most painful death, I would advise you to high-tail it to your sister's house and start helping T.K. out with the baby's room."

"Oh, crap!"

Tai jumped up and almost ran out of the room.

"Don't forget your keys!" Sora called after him.

Without a word Tai ran back past them, swiped his keys off of the table and ran back out of the door. Sora rolled her eyes and walked back into the kitchen to talk to Kari. Matt followed her with his eyes before sitting down and leaning his head against the couch.

An uncle. Wow. That was something. He was surprised at his little brother, and quite proud. He'd always had faith that T.K. would be the one who would meet a girl, get married and start a family early in his life. T.K. was always the solid one, the one you could rely on. Unlike Matt, who was currently sharing an apartment with his best friend and has pretty much given up on relationships altogether.

"Matt! T.K. wants to talk to you!"

Matt smiled and stood up, walking into the kitchen. Sora held out the phone to him and he took it eagerly.

"Hey, Teeks, great news!"

_"Yeah," _came his brother's voice from the other end. _"Didn't expect it so early, but it's good nontheless. I'm just glad it happened beofre Kari started working as a teacher at Odaiba Primary."_

"Yeah, good timing. Hey, anytime you need some help or anything, just give me a call, okay?"

_"Thanks, Matt. Knew I could count on you, bro."_

For some reason the words made Matt feel fantastic. Not too many people had bothered to count on him before. The fact that T.K. was willing to was enough to make him feel as if he was on top of the world.

"I appreciate it, Teeks."

T.K. didn't need to ask what he meant. _"No problem. I have to start hauling furniture, so I'll talk to you later, okay?"_

"Sure. Talk to you later, bro."

_"Give my best to Sora."_

"Will do."

T.K. hung up and Matt placed the phone back on the cradle. He turned to Sora, a smile on his face. Sora replied with an answering smile and squealed as Matt picked her up and twirled her around.

"I'm going to be an uncle! This is the best news ever!"

Sora laughed. "That's great, Matt, but can you put me down?"

"Sorry!"

He set her down carefully, the grin not leaving his face.

It was a little dramatic, but it made Matt happier than he had been in a long time.

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Chapter two completed. ^-^ Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

**ThatsWhatSheSaid07: **Yeah, Sora is a little OCD. I think it's funny how particular she is about some things. Thanks for reviewing!

**blackandblood:** Nah, they're just friends. Tai has another interest... ;P

**PrincessJaded: **I hope this chapter adds a little spice to Sora. She'll get more interesting later on anyway.

**Twilight Phantom Dragon:** Ah, but I have changed what Tai might think. Remember, Sora's an early riser and Tai is definitely not. I thought it would get too cliche if I let him find them together. That happens too often, so I'll save it for a more appropriate time. =P

Signing off for now,

digitalmonster911


	3. Chapter 3: Life Goes On

I Swear I Do

A Digimon Fanfic

Summary: Matt and Sora are best friends that both work and live together. They swore three years ago that if they weren't married by the age of 25, they would marry each other. So what happens when that deadline comes to pass?

Disclaimer: Someday...

Chapter 3: Life Goes On

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_Beep beep. Beep beep._

That fucking alarm clock was going to _die_.

_Beep beep. Beep beep._

Any minute now he was going to reach out from underneath the covers and destroy the little menace of a machine that insisted on waking him up at the crack of dawn.

_Beep beep. Beep beep._

Any minute now.

_Beep beep. Bee-CRASH!_

Matt opened his eyes curiously to find a pile of metal where his alarm clock had once sat. Only, he had not been the one to smash it. So what...?

"Whoever you are, I'm going to send you flowers," he muttered drowsily. "Where do you live?"

"In the room next door," came the amused reply.

_Sora._

"Why did you kill my alarm clock?" Matt asked, looking up at her through his pale eyelashes. "You're always having a go at _me _for destroying them. Hypocrite."

Sora tossed her long hair. "I decided that I may have been mistaken, and I now realise the battle of wits you have with the annoying device every morning. Therefore, I hereby give you permission to throw that thing against the wall as many times as you like in the future."

"Okay then." Matt picked up the remains of the clock and tossed them at the wall opposite. "So why did you smash it anyway? It's not like it woke _you_ up."

"As a matter of fact, it did, and I don't appreciate it one little bit," Sora replied, crossing the room to the curtains and opening them, allowing the rays of the sun to permeate the room.

Matt cringed away from the harsh glare. "Am I hearing you right? Miss six-am-on-the-dot slept _in_? As in, you didn't wake up before the sun rises for once?"

Sora glared at him, bemused. "No. If you must know-"

"Oh, I must," Matt interrupted. Sora glared again and he shut up. Sora woken up was not a happy Sora, and one he tended to tread carefully around.

"As I was saying, I decided that sleeping in _for once_ was not going to kill me."

"About time," Matt murmured, but Sora ignored him.

"It's Saturday, so it's not as if I have to be anywhere in a hurry. Except for the fact that it's now seven o'clock and we are both expected at T.K. and Kari's in an hour, so you'd better get dressed."

Matt threw off the covers and jumped out of bed. "Crap! Get out, get out!"

Sora snorted. "Not as if it's anything I haven't seen before, Matty dear!" she teased as she left the room.

"Not something you've seen for a few years, though!" he called back and was rewarded with her laugh.

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Sora hummed to herself as she flipped the pancake in the frypan. Though she wasn't a great cook, the one thing she could cook perfectly was pancakes, and Matt absolutely _loved_ it when she made them.

As she waited for the other side to brown, she thought about Kari's newfound pregnancy. Though the other woman was three years younger than herself, Sora had to admit that while Kari might be ready for a baby, she was definitely not. Sora didn't think that she could handle being a mother. Maybe she just wasn't mature enough to take it.

"SORA!" Matt called from his room. "Have you seen my socks?"

Sora rolled her eyes. Honestly, the two of them were like a married couple. Even worse, if possible.

"Top drawer, underneath your Batman boxers!" she called back.

Wait a minute. _Married_ _couple?_ Where had _that_ come from?

Though it rang a bell...

*flashback*

_Matt smiled slightly as Sora rested her head on his shoulder, tired of crying._

_"I just don't know, Matt. It's as if every guy I meet isn't right or something," she sighed._

_"I feel the same way sometimes."_

_"What if we never find the right person? What if we're alone for the rest of our lives?"_

_"I seriously doubt that's going to happen, Sora."_

_She turned to him, her eyes blazing. "Just say that it does! What then?"_

_Matt bit his lip. "Well..."_

_"Most people I know are already engaged or married, Matt! I had it all planned out! I wanted to be married or at least engaged by 25!"_

_He smiled again. That was Sora all over. Always had to have everything planned out, to the second._

_"I'll make you a deal then. If neither of us are in a relationship by the age of 25, we'll marry each other."_

_Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?"_

_He laughed. "Oh, come on. I'm not that bad."_

_She pulled a face. "It's not that, Matt. It's just...would you? Marry me?"_

_Matt looked her right in the eyes. "Yes, Sora. I would."_

*end flashback*

Sora shook her head. She hadn't thought he meant it, but somehow he'd talked her around. They'd had that promise for three years.

_THREE YEARS?!_

Sora closed her eyes, her heart racing. Three years. That meant that they turned 25 this year. And _that_ meant...

She opened them again. No. He wouldn't remember anyway. This was Matt. He couldn't remember where he put his car keys, let alone a promise he made three years ago.

"Where are my car keys?!"

See.

As she went to help him look, something raced through her mind.

_If he remembered...would she go through with it?_

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Matt sang along to the song on the radio, keeping his eyes on the road. It's not that he wasn't a good driver; it was just because Sora would scream at him if he didn't look where he was driving.

Speaking of which...Sora had been very quiet since they'd left the house. It wasn't really like her to be so silent. She wasn't exactly a loudmouth, but being quiet was definitely unusual.

"Anything you want to tell me?" he asked, reaching over to turn down the stereo. Sora glanced at him in surprise.

"No. Why?"

"Come on, Sora," Matt said dryly. "Give me _some_ credit. I think I can tell when my best friend's upset about something."

Sora bit her lip. She hadn't really expected him to notice, but she supposed she should have known better. While Matt could be incredibly dense sometimes, he could also be really observant when he wanted to be. She'd just have to lie...

"Oh, just thinking about the new baby and all."

"Liar."

The flat accusation sent Sora immediately on the defense.

"How would you know?!"

"I know you better than that."

"The hell you do!"

Matt didn't answer, and Sora tried to calm down. It wasn't his fault that she couldn't stop thinking about the long-forgotten promise. It wasn't his fault he happened to be the closest one she could take her frustration and hesitancy out on.

The rest of the car ride was spent in silence. When Matt pulled into T.K and Kari's driveway, Sora quickly opened the door and stepped out of the car, closing the door and making her way to the front door of the house by herself.

"Don't bother waiting," Matt muttered to himself. "I'll catch up."

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"SORA!" Kari screamed as her long-time friend walked through the door. "It's been forever!"

The five months of being pregnant was definitely showing on Kari, but the happy woman had never looked better.

"Kari, it's been two weeks," Sora laughed as she hugged the person that she still saw as her little sister. Sora had missed Kari just as much as Kari had missed her, though she would never admit it.

"T.K.!" she greeted as the blonde walked in the room, dusting his hands and wiping them on his jeans. T.K. Takaishi smiled at Sora, his face lighting up.

"Hey, Sor! I'd give you a hug, but..." He indicated his dusty jeans that had paint splotches all over them. Sora rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry about it."

"Where's Matt?" Kari asked, looking behind Sora inquisitively. "I thought he'd be with you."

"Oh, he is," Sora replied quickly, and T.K. glanced at her curiously as the tone of her voice changed. "He was just taking his time to get out of the car, so I came along without him."

T.K. nodded and walked out of the front door to find his brother. Kari grabbed Sora by the shoulders and hauled her into the partially-completed nursery.

"Okay, what happened?" Kari demanded. Sora shrugged.

"Nothing."

"Don't 'nothing' me, Sora Takenouchi! I want to know what happened with Matt that's got you so riled up."

"I am not riled up, Kari!"

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Try pulling the other leg, honey."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Matt shut the car door, then winced as he heard it slam. He hadn't thought he'd pushed it _that_ hard.

"What's gotten into you, big brother?"

Matt whirled around to face T.K. "Nothing."

"You would never treat your precious car so badly unless you were frustrated about something. Want to tell me what's up?"

"Not particularly."

T.K.'s eyes narrowed. "Excuse _me_ for trying to be a good brother. Guess I know better than to ask again."

Matt stepped closer to his younger brother. "Yeah, I guess you do."

The two blondes glared at each other. The brothers looked so similar, one would mistake them for twins. Matt was just a little taller than T.K., but apart from that, they were almost identical, from their platinum blonde hair to their cerulean blue eyes.

"Takeru..." Matt warned.

"Yamato..." T.K. mimicked. "Don't give me that crap. Just because you're annoyed, does not mean you have to take it out on the first person to ask you what's wrong."

Matt deflated. "I know."

T.K. backed down, all smiles once more. "I know you know. Now do you want to tell me what's up?"

"I just had a small fight with Sora in the car. It's nothing big, it's just that she won't tell me why she's mad, and that's unlike her."

"Did you stop to think it might be about you, and that's why she's not telling you?"

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"So that's it," Sora finished, leaning back against the doorframe and sighing. Kari looked at her incredulously.

"That's it? That's what you're so worked up about?"

Sora glared at her. "It's important, okay?"

"Yeah, I know it is. But I think you're making to big a deal out of it. Cross that bridge when it comes to it, rather than giving yourself grey hairs over it when it might not come to pass."

"But what do I do if it _does_ happen?"

"Then you decide. But don't start worrying about something that hasn't happened yet, and might never happen."

Sora smiled. "I guess."

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"And that is the meaning of life," T.K. concluded. Matt nodded in understanding.

"I see. And how will this help me figure out Sora?"

"Weren't you just listening?" T.K. asked indignantly. "I just gave you the answer!"

"You did?"

"Yes! The answer is: just let her be until she decides to tell you, because pushing her into talking is only going to make things worse."

Matt stared blankly at his brother. _That's not what he told me at all...I think he's lost it ever since Kari became pregnant. Maybe living with a crazy woman 24/7 alters your mind..._

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The four of them managed to get through the rest of the day without much more drama, except for the impromptu paint fight that T.K. and Matt started. When Sora and Matt waved goodbye to the Takaishis, they were in good spirits, and the drive home was comfortable once more.

"Matt?" Sora spoke up as they paused at a red light.

"Yeah?" he replied, turning to her.

"Let's never fight again."

Matt laughed. "Agreed."

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I know, it's not as good as my previous stuff, but I might be encountering the dreadful disease of *GASP* WRITER'S BLOCK! HELP!!!!! If you think of anything good to happen next chapter (that's realistic!) let me know.

Over and out,

digitalmonster911


	4. Chapter 4: Promises Are Made To Be Kept

I Swear I Do

A Digimon Fanfic

Summary: Matt and Sora are best friends that both work and live together. They swore three years ago that if they weren't married by the age of 25, they would marry each other. So what happens when that deadline comes to pass?

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my awesome collection of rocks that look like famous people. Hey, look, one that looks like Matt...^-^

Chapter 4: Promises Are Made To Be Kept

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_Beep beep. Beep beep._

When would it end? The continuous beeping, a daily reminder that he had to get up and go about his routine without complaint.

Okay, maybe not without complaint, but without exception.

_Beep beep. Beep beep._

Maybe he should invest in an alarm clock that didn't beep, one that he could get to play music instead. That'd be _so_ much better than this.

_Beep beep. Beep beep._

_Much_ better.

Matt opened his eyes to find them surprisingly clear. In fact, he felt pretty good for a change. It didn't seem a huge trial to get out of bed and make his way to the bathroom.

Sora seemed surprised to see him so awake, too.

"Wow, I'm speechless."

"Shut it," Matt growled good-naturedly. Sora smirked.

"Make me."

Rather than argue, Matt simply walked into the kitchen to begin breakfast. Whether he was awake or not, it was still too early to bicker with Sora.

In fact, it was almost _always_ too early.

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"So what's got you in such good spirits?" Matt teased Sora as they took the train into work.

Sora smiled, her eyes lighting up. "I have a date."

Matt raised an eyebrow. "Wow, he must be something to make you _this_ excited."

"He's a really nice guy, Matt. I think you'd like him. Mimi introduced me to him at a party she had a few weeks ago for her new fashion line. He works in architecture, apparently."

"Why was he at Mimi's party then?"

"Something about him designing their new office building. He asked me out for dinner a couple of nights ago, and I said I'd be happy to."

"What's his name?"

"Samuel Johnson. He's from Australia, and he's got the most adorable accent."

Matt grinned. "Sounds like you're already half in love."

Sora rolled her eyes and simply smiled.

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He so wanted to go to bed. It was three-fucking-am and he was tired. The temptation to just go to sleep was almost overwhelming. But he couldn't.

_I will stay up until she gets home..._

Whether it was to hear about how fantastic her date was or to give her a shoulder to cry on if everything went wrong, he would be there.

Because that's what best friends did.

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Half an hour later, Matt was seriously reconsidering his decision to stay up.

After all, it had probably all turned out fine. That was probably why she wasn't home yet.

Yeah. That was it.

Matt was about to stumble toward the general direction of his room when he noticed his phone was vibrating. Curiousity compelled him to take it out of his pocket and check the caller ID. Who would be calling _now_?

_SORA_

Without a second thought, he opened the phone and pressed it to his ear.

"Sora? You okay?"

_"Yeah...sorry for waking you up."_

Her tone instantly put him on red alert. "I wasn't asleep. What happened?"

_"I don't want to talk about it. Can you come get me?"_

Her hesitation surprised him. "Of course. Where are you?"

_"At the train station. I don't have any money for a bus ticket."_

"I'll be right there."

Matt hung up, grabbed a jacket on his way through the hall and locked the apartment door behind him.

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The car ride home was spent in silence. He knew her well enough to know that now was not the time to ask, and she knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't press her. Matt didn't even turn on the radio. There was too much of a chance the wrong song would play and could make this night worse than it already was.

Sora sat in the passenger's seat, her jacket folded neatly in her lap, staring out the side window, counting the trees that passed. To a casual observer, she was fine. Only he noticed that her hands were shaking.

With what, he didn't know.

Sora looked at Matt out of the corner of her eye. He looked comfortable enough, his eyes on the road, a relaxed expression on his face.

Only the tight grip on the steering wheel gave away his true feelings.

The night had obviously not gone as planned. It never did, if Sora stopped to think about it. There was always something missing, something not right. It wasn't the guy; it never was. It was just..._something._

Matt was angry. She knew. Not at her, at her date, most likely. It was a misleading impression she gave him. Sam had been a perfect gentlemen.

It was her fault.

She had lost it as soon as they had walked in the door of the restaurant. The vibe was wrong, she didn't belong.

So ten minutes into the dinner, she made an excuse to leave.

She felt horrible about it, about leaving him hanging like that when he had been so nice. But she just couldn't sit there and endure it, and she didn't have the guts to tell him.

So she lied. Not the first time she had.

_But the last_, she vowed silently.

At last, they were home. Sora got out of the car, shut the door gently and walked slowly to the front door of the apartment block, her feet dragging on the pavement.

He followed her out of the car park silently, shadowing her footsteps. He slipped in to the apartment behind her, never making a sound.

But she knew he was there. She always knew.

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She made her bed. He stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame as he had done so many times before. She ignored him, as he knew she would. She didn't want to talk about it just yet.

But she would.

He moved over to the other side of the bed, not saying a word. He helped her with the cover, folding it neatly and tucking the edges in.

"Thanks," she said quietly, her voice catching. Matt noticed it, too. It still wasn't the time, however.

In went _Eragon_. It was her favourite movie, though she conceded that it paled in comparison next to the book. She just loved Saphira.

She had always wished she could be a Dragon Rider, ever since she had read the book. It was her secret fantasy, one no one else knew.

Except for him.

Because he always knew.

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"I won't lie again," she told him when Eragon demanded that Brom tell the truth. He looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"I do it every time I go out with a guy. I end up lying and making an excuse to leave, because I just don't want to be there."

"That's not such a bad thing."

"Yes it is. It's not fair to them, and it makes me feel horrible. I won't do it again."

He raised an eyebrow. "And just how do you plan on avoiding it?"

She didn't answer for a minute. They watched Saphira tell Eragon that when their Riders were killed, so were the dragons.

"I'll just have to make sure he's the right one, next time."

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Life went on as usual. Sora kept her promise, turning down more than one dating offer in the next couple of weeks. She refused them on the grounds that they were just "not right".

"Why?" Matt demanded, wanting her to give an actual answer for once.

"Just because," she replied indifferently. He gritted his teeth. He just wanted to know _why_ they weren't right. What her type _was_.

"I was right anyway," she told him the next day. "Gerard asked Mandy out after he asked me out. Fickle."

Matt just shook his head.

"How do you expect to find Mr Right if you don't give them a chance?" he asked her after the fifth rejection.

She didn't answer.

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Why did he feel like he was so out of sync? He did his job, he was healthy, he felt like he was doing well in general.

He just felt so...wrong. So out of it.

_Why?!_

Something was pressing in on him, something right on the tip of his tongue that he couldn't spit out.

Something he should know. Should have remembered.

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It all came together one night as he sat up late with Sora, watching some brainless show on TV. All the little pieces fit. It all matched up.

He found what he'd been missing.

"I had a plan, Matt," Sora said suddenly, snapping him out of his almost-doze. "I had it all figured it out. A steady job, nice income, then marriage, children...it was all in my head, and it was perfect. Why didn't it turn out that way in reality?"

"It never does," he replied half-heartedly, still half-asleep.

"But I wanted it to. I should be planning my wedding right now, Matt, instead of Kari's baby shower."

_Wedding...marriage..._

These thoughts filled his slow brain and he mulled them over, thinking. That was the word...

*flashback*

_"Most people I know are already engaged or married, Matt! I had it all planned out! I wanted to be married or at least engaged by 25!"_

_I smiled. That was Sora. Always had to have everything planned out, to the second._

_"I'll make you a deal then. If neither of us are in a relationship by the age of 25, we'll marry each other."_

_Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?"_

_I laughed. "Oh, come on. I'm not that bad."_

_She pulled a face. "It's not that, Matt. It's just...would you? Marry me?"_

_I looked at her seriously. "Yes, Sora. I would."_

*end flashback*

Holy crap. _That_ was what his brain had been trying to make him remeber for weeks now. A promise he had made to Sora three years ago.

Hmm...three years...

Matt's eyes flew open, and he was instantly wide awake.

He was 25. Sora was 25 in October. Not good.

She would remember, he knew. She always remembered stuff like that, little things that didn't seem important at the time.

Would she expect him to keep his promise?

No, he decided. She wouldn't ask him to do that. He didn't have to worry.

Or did he? His love life was all but resembling a desert, and her numerous failures made her more depressed every time. They were both getting nowhere, and he knew it.

Did he _want_ to keep his promise?

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...she was his best friend, after all, so there was no issue of comfort or affection. And truth be told, the idea didn't bother him. Not at all.

It was her that was the question.

"Marry me, then."

The words slipped out of his mouth before he fully had a chance to think about them. Her startled gaze gave away the fact that she hadn't expected it. Well, he couldn't really back out now.

"Don't be silly, Matt," she replied, her voice shaking. "Why on earth would I do that?"

A corner of his mouth lifted. "Don't act like you don't remember, Sora. I would bet this is why you got so weird with me a few weeks ago when we went to T.K. and Kari's."

Of course he'd make that connection. He wasn't an idiot.

"I couldn't. I wanted love..."

"Bullshit. It was never about love," he scoffed. "You had it planned; love isn't planned. You just wanted your life mapped out."

She bit her lip. He was right, as usual. Love hadn't really been a factor. It would have been nice, but it wasn't necessary.

"Besides, we do love each other," he added. "More than you'd love any other guy you married."

True.

"I couldn't ask you to do that," she argued as a last resort. "You'd be giving up your life, just to make sure I got my dream."

He got up and walked over to where she sat, crouching down before her. He took her small hand in both of his and marveled once again at the contrast in skin tone.

"I never gave up anything for you when we were kids. You did everything for me, whether it was taking care of T.K. when I couldn't or moving in with me because I couldn't look after myself. I've never done anything for you. Let me at least have that privilege. Let me keep my promise."

Her eyes closed. He had won. What argument did she have? He was completely serious, was giving up only the chance to meet the girl of his dreams, which he had made clear many times before was not on his top ten list of things-to-do. What else could she say?

"Okay."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

There you go! It is finally done! It was hard work, admittedly, but we've finally got somewhere. Let the chaos begin! =D

Love you all,

digitalmonster911

P.S. I will not have a lot of time to update from now on. I'm about to enter year 12, and I really have to focus. If I don't update for awhile, I hope you understand. Please keep those ideas coming, though!


	5. Chapter 5: Expectations

I Swear I Do

A Digimon Fanfic

Summary: Matt and Sora are best friends that both work and live together. They swore three years ago that if they weren't married by the age of 25, they would marry each other. So what happens when that deadline comes to pass?

Disclaimer: I own Digimon. Every last bit of it, from Pikachu to Zapdos. Oh, sorry, wrong show. =D

Chapter 5: Expectations

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_Beep beep. Beep beep. _

Matt stared unblinkingly at the red numbers flashing. He had never noticed before the soothing repetitiveness of the alarm. It stood for normalcy. Routine.

This was not a normal day. Routine had flown out of the window.

Today was the day after he had asked Sora to marry him.

And she had said yes.

What did that even mean? He had meant it, of course. He wouldn't have offered if he thought that he wouldn't go through with it.

But not once had it crossed his mind what would happen if she accepted.

_Beep beep. Beep beep._

Never had Yamato Ishida imagined himself in this position. It was something he never thought he would have to face. And yet here he was.

Wondering what on earth he had gotten himself into.

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Sora heard the alarm beeping in Matt's room. She had, predictably, been awake when it started. She hadn't slept all night.

How could she? She had just agreed to marry her best friend, whom she had no romantic feelings for whatsoever.

The worst part? She knew that. And she knew he was right when he pointed out that love had nothing to do with the arrangement. Sora was just so fixated on her plan, the shimmering future she had constructed for herself that she didn't care if it was Matt. And she didn't care whether she loved him or not.

She just wanted to walk down the aisle in a simple white dress and say "I do".

No matter how selfish that sounded.

He understood, though. That's what bothered her. He knew perfectly well that she didn't care. It was that fact that scared her. What did he expect from her? Why would he willingly give up his chance of a perfect life for her?

Did he expect her to fall in love eventually? Because if that's what he hoped would happen, he was sorely mistaken.

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He couldn't face her. It was selfish and immature, he knew, but he didn't think he could look at her and think straight. And he was scared.

Because out of all the years he had known Sora, never had he not known how to deal with her.

It was why they had moved in together, after all. They complimented each other perfectly, and there was never any awkwardness or uncertainty.

Until now.

What did you do when you weren't sure you knew your best friend anymore?

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This was not going to end well.

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The two avoided each other for the rest of the day. Sora stayed in her room, thinking about Matt. Matt stayed in his room, thinking about Sora.

For the first time in their lives, they were out of sync with one another.

And then it happened.

_DING-DONG!_

Matt stiffened. The doorbell. He should answer it.

But what if Sora did? He didn't want to see her.

So he stayed where he was.

Sora didn't move. Matt would get the door, surely.

_DING-DONG!_

The bell was becoming more insistent. She really should go answer it.

So she did.

"...Hi, Sora."

It was Izzy.

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"Izzy? What are you doing here?" Sora asked shakily, leaning on the doorframe. He avoided her gaze, clutching a backpack to his chest protectively.

"Can I come in?"

This wasn't like Izzy. Usually he was overly polite, always answering questions to the best of his ability, with a small smile when the satisfaction of being right hit him.

But not now.

Now, he was shifting impatiently, anxiously from side to side, his eyes not coming into contact with anything for more than a few seconds.

"Of course."

Sora stepped aside, letting him in. He walked past her briskly, continuing into the living room where he met Matt.

"Matt," he nodded.

Matt looked confused for a second, but nodded back. "Hey, Izzy."

Sora entered the room and glanced at Matt. Their tension forgotten, he raised his eyebrows at her in question. She simply shrugged, not having an answer.

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm here," Izzy remarked dully, sitting down on an armchair. Sora and Matt exchanged glances before taking seats themselves.

"Kind of. I mean, don't get me wrong, we don't mind you being here at all, but we are a little curious as to why you'd just turn up like this," Sora explained. "It's just not like you, Izzy."

Izzy nodded vaguely. "I'm not quite myself at the moment."

"Care to tell us why?" Matt asked, uncharacteristically gentle. He knew Izzy fairly well, and though he hadn't seen him since Kari and T.K.'s wedding, he knew him well enough to know that something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Kennedy kicked me out."

Sora and Matt jerked back, as if they had been hit. They hadn't seen that coming. Kennedy had been Izzy's wife for two solid years, and she loved him dearly. Their 18 month old daughter, Kylie, was a perfect blend of Kennedy's dark hair and Izzy's warm brown eyes and pale skin.

"Why?" Sora demanded, anger settling in. "What reason could she possibly have for throwing you out?"

"She claims I pay too much attention to my research and not enough to her and Kylie."

Matt was simmering with fury. How dare she accuse him of that? Izzy was nothing but dedicated to his family. Even with all his work, he still managed to spend every Saturday with his wife and daughter, taking them out to places around the city for picnics and other activities. What did Kennedy expect of him?

"But that's not fair! You spend every Saturday with them, and you pay so much attention to them I sometimes wonder how you do it all!" Sora exclaimed. Izzy smiled at her in gratitude.

"Thank you, Sora. I guess it just wasn't enough for her, though," he said sadly. "She wants a divorce and complete custody of Kylie."

"That's outrageous! There's no way she'll get that! You have to fight for Kylie, Izzy! She's your daughter too, and you deserve her more than Kennedy does, as far as I can tell."

"You think?"

"I know."

Izzy sat in silent contemplation for a few minutes, while Matt and Sora had a silent conversation. He nodded and Sora turned back to Izzy.

"Izzy, where are you staying?"

Izzy looked at her blankly. "I was going to call Tai and ask if it was all right with him to stay until I could find a place of my own."

"Not anymore," Matt informed him. "You're staying here."

Izzy looked shocked. "But you guys live here! I wouldn't want to crowd the place."

Matt snorted. "Have you seen the size of this place lately? We even have a spare room, and it's probably more hygienic than any place Tai lives in. We're more than happy to have you. We're not even going to take no for an answer, we're that sure."

"You too, Sora?"

She nodded, smiling. Izzy smiled back.

"Thanks, guys. I owe you one."

"Get Kylie back and we'll call it even," Sora told him.

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Matt and Sora both decided that in light of the new situation at hand, it would be best for the two of them to forget their problems at the moment and focus on Izzy instead. After all, it seemed that he needed the attention more than they did at the moment. And this tactic worked. For awhile.

Until Izzy was asleep in the spare room and the two friends were left to themselves.

Matt glanced at Sora out of the corner out of his eye. She was fussing with some sheets, unfolding and refolding them to disguise her obvious discomfort. He sighed. This couldn't keep up.

"We need to talk about this, Sora," he informed her, and she flinched at the sound of his voice. He instantly felt bad, but shrugged it off. This was no time for sentimentalities.

"What's there to talk about?" she asked shakily, laying a sheet on the pile she had created. He rolled his eyes. Always stubborn.

"What a load of crap. 'What's there to talk about?' You have got to be kidding me. Everything is what there is to talk about. In case you've already forgotten, we just agreed to marry each other."

She cringed and a wave of guilt hit him.

"I'm sorry, that was harsh. But I'm only telling you the truth. You can't avoid this. I don't regret my decision. Do you regret yours?"

She straightened and turned to face him, her eyes blazing with indignation. _There's the Sora I know_, he thought to himself with satisfaction.

"What do you mean, do I regret it? Of course I don't! You said it yourself, I don't care about love. I just want the experience, and I could care less about everything else. I think I get the better end of the deal. I get to marry my best friend. You get to sacrifice your happiness for mine. What do you expect of me, Matt? Do you think I'll want love? Because I won't. What do you want from me?"

She was almost crying. Matt was shocked. How could she think that he expected anything from her? How could she think that he was giving it all up? He had no belief that love would find him: he was just happy to have a comfortable relationship. Like Sora, love was not a prerequisite for him. Contentment was enough, and he knew that he already had that with his best friend. He was losing nothing.

"I don't lose, Sora."

She turned back to the sheets, but he knew she was listening. He always knew,

"What more could I ask for? Love doesn't just arrive at your doorstep one day, all ready for you to grab it with both hands. It doesn't work like that. I'm not going to waste my time looking for it, either. You know that's not me. _I_ get to marry _my_ best friend. What more could I want? Because I don't want anything. Nothing more than to know I get to make you happy. What would I do without you, Sora? I'd fall apart, you know I would. I can't take care of myself. You have to admit, we make a great team."

She laughed, a choking kind of laugh. He took that as a good sign.

"We match. We always have. It's just never been the kind of match that people dream of. It's even better than that. There's no awkwardness, no heartbreak, no little arguments that turn into full-scale war. It's perfect. And you're asking me what more I want. I don't think I'm physically capable of wanting more, and if I were, I don't think I would. Because that...that's just selfish."

He'd finished. He'd said all he had to say. It was up to her now.

She didn't turn, but Matt knew that he had struck a nerve. Maybe now she would realise.

"Well..."

He watched her, expectant. She turned to face him, a half smile on her face.

"I guess we have a wedding to plan."

He laughed, and for the first time it hit him. They were going to do it. They were going to get married.

"I guess so."

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So, what do you think? I know, it's definitely getting more serious. I like it, though. I get to expand and have little rants. It makes me happy. Tell me what you think!


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